Sunday, September 30, 2007

SINGAPORE: A nature lover had a rude shock when he went on a trip to Pulau Ubin recently.

Ben Lee, founder of Nature Trekker – a non-profit organisation dedicated to nature appreciation in Singapore – took pictures of a trap that was more than 2 metres (7 feet) high and was set deep in the forest.

According to him, the cage was big enough to house 15 wild boars and could be used for illegal poaching.

He also saw a man walking out of the forest with a sharp sickle.

Mr Lee has reported the incident to the National Parks Board.

NParks said it is illegal to carry out poaching activities in Pulau Ubin, parks and nature reserves.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

This Pulau Ubin Fun Map was produced by Grant Pereira and illustrated by artist Yong Ding Li a few years ago. It is now on sale at the GVN Green House at the town centre of Pulau Ubin.

It comes originally in a black and white line drawing but unable to resist the temptation, I filled in the "blanks" with my own choice of colours. Find birds and wildlife hidden amongst the coconut trees and mangroves on the island. You may even spot the headman's house or even the fence that keeps outward bound school out of bounds!

I sure had fun and kids of all ages will surely have fun with this map. It is available for sale at $2 each. On the reverse side of the map is an illustrated guide to birds, mammals, insects and reptiles found on the island.

The GVN Green House where the map is on sale.

It sure would come in handy on the island as well but try not to use the map to navigate around the island because it's not drawn to scale and surely meant only for a bit of fun with friends and family.

Info Kiosk near the Ubin Jetty.

For serious navigation and orientation around the island, pick up a map from the Information Kiosk near the Ubin Jetty where an updated map of the island is available. A map of Chek Jawa is also available but at the Information Counter near House No. 1 of Chek Jawa.